Well first of all, what is a First Look? This is just a fancy way of asking ” Will you guys be seeing each other before the ceremony?” Some couples love it and some couple want to stick to tradition. You really can’t go wrong with either and that is exactly why I created a timeline for each. After each timeline you will find another short list of pros and tips. Believe it or not choosing either can have a significant effect on the time spent with and away from your guests and with and away from your partner. Both of these timelines will shift based on the season and the sunset time. “Golden Hour” which is the hour before sunset, tends to provide the most lovely light for portraits. Keep this in mind as you build out your day. You may also notice that these timelines end at the 9:00 hour. Again, this is just an example and does not have to be your exact timeline. This simply gives an idea of time blocking that has worked for my couples in the past.
First up: First Look
So the beauty of having a first look is that you get nearly all of your photos done before guests even arrive. Not to mention the alone time before you get swept up in the day can be such a beautiful pause. Portraits with your man, photos with your bridal party, and family formals can all be done before ceremony if you choose to do so. When guests arrive they get your full attention and you can spend time enjoying everyone.
No First Look
You’ll notice right off the bat that it seems pretty much the same. The difference comes with the amount of time spent taking photos BEFORE your guests get there. In this timeline you’ll see that the majority of your time will be spent away from guests and they will be occupied with cocktail hour. This gives you a chance to get away for a little while with your new hubby and all your besties.
